


Gentle

by corneroffandom



Category: World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-29
Updated: 2018-05-29
Packaged: 2019-05-15 09:39:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14788050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/corneroffandom/pseuds/corneroffandom
Summary: On one of his last appearances on the indys, Ciampa wounds his mouth and requires some help from his new tag partner.





	Gentle

"Unbelievable," Tommaso groans, touching his lip with a grimace. "One of my last indy dates and _this_ happens..." He stares balefully at himself in the mirror, shifting when Johnny pokes his head in, eyes dark and wide with sympathy as he gets a better look at Ciampa's stitched together lip.

"Stop- stop touching it," Johnny says, gripping his arm gently but enough to stop his prodding. "You'll just make it start bleeding again." He continues to hold onto him until Tommaso sighs and joins him in the bedroom. "Let me look at those instructions the trainer left you with." He skims them, grimacing.

"You don't have to, I can-" Ciampa starts to say before falling very quiet very fast, Johnny leaning into his space to stare at his mouth. "Um." He grows even more flustered when Johnny touches the corner of his lip, parting it slightly to look at the stitches. "Johnny..."

"C'mon, what kind of a partner would I be if I didn't help you? I know if the shoe was on the other foot, you'd do the same for me." Johnny's smile is calm, gentle, like his touch as he presses some antibiotic cream onto the stitches, so slow and careful that Tommaso's eyes flutter shut. "Feel good?" he asks, no hint of teasing in his tone as Tommaso sighs through his nose, waiting for it all to be over with.

Speech is impossible with Johnny's fingers in his mouth so he just stares at him, eyes wide and deep blue, hoping that his answer is clear in their depths. Considering how Johnny smiles at him, he thinks it's obvious. "Thank you," he says, quietly, sincerely, once Johnny backs away.

"You're welcome," Johnny says, patting his knee. "Now take it easy, no poking or prodding it. With fingers _or_ tongue," he chides him, laughing a little as Ciampa looks down with embarrassment. When he doesn't look back up, however, Johnny's goodnatured teasing turns worried. "Tommaso? Are you ok? Was I a little too rough..?"

"No! No, you're fine," Tommaso mumbles, catching his eye for a second before looking away. "Just... seems like a bad omen, we're on the cusp of this big career move and you're already forced to take care of me. I'm sorry, man."

"There's nothing to apologize for," Johnny sighs, leaning back and staring at Tommaso. "I'm sure I'll do something that leaves me needing your help with stuff before too long." He nudges his partner's leg. "It's just part of being a team, right? When you need help, I'll be there, and when I need help, you'll pick up the slack for me." He smiles. "I was happy to help you. You've always seemed so... indestructible and proud to do things for yourself, I wasn't sure if I'd even be much use in this team."

"Much use," Tommaso scoffs, disbelieving. "Come on, Johnny. You're like... the thing that's going to keep this team going when I'm too stuck in my own head to function right. You're going to be the driving force in most of our success, I have no doubt."

"Don't sell yourself so short," Johnny says, face tinged red as he dwells on Tommaso's words. "You'll be the determination of this team, what keeps me on my feet when I feel weak."

Tommaso's smile is weak, crooked because of the missing chunk of flesh in his lip, and the stitches, but it's enoughf or Johnny. "Teammates," he says, holding his fist out.

"Teammates," Johnny agrees, teeth flashing as he bumps his fist against Tommaso's.


End file.
